Vernon Wells RUMORS & NEWS

Fox Sports
"Free-agent outfielder Vernon Wells may not play this season, according to major-league sources. From at least one perspective, it is not in his financial interests to play.
Wells, released by the New York Yankees on Jan. 15, is guaranteed $21 million in the final year of a seven-year, $126..."
January 30

CSN Philly
"Delmon Young, Part II?
The Phillies have expressed interest in 35-year-old outfielder Vernon Wells, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Wells, a three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner with the Blue Jays once upon a time, has been epically bad in recent years.
From..."
January 20

MLB Daily Dish
"Wells will test the free agent market, providing a low-cost power options for teams in search of outfield help.
The New York Yankees have released outfielder Vernon Wells, according to the official MLB.com transactions page. Wells was designated for assignment last week to make room on the..."
January 16

MLB.com
"The Yankees have designated outfielder Vernon Wells for assignment to clear room on their 40-man roster, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported on Friday.
Wells, 35, spent one season in New York, where he hit .233 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs in 130 games. The 15-year veteran has seen his production..."
January 11

Newark Star-Ledger
"Before last night’s 8-3 loss to Tampa Bay, Yankees left fielder Vernon Wells met with team hitting coach Kevin Long to discuss his swing. Wells has been struggling through a brutal hitting slump, and each day he searches for answers.
Wells said Long went back and studied nearly every one of his..."
June 21

New York Daily News
"With each out Vernon Wells makes, you wonder when he’s going to reach his tipping point. When will he fling his helmet against the dugout wall or take a bat to a water cooler, finally letting out some of the frustration that must be building up inside?
Don’t hold your breath.
“It’s not the..."
June 21

New York Post
"Joe Girardi said the switch from Travis Hafner to Lyle Overbay yesterday in the DH spot was nothing more than giving Hafner a day off.
However, it was hard to ignore Hafner’s 5-for-53 (.094) funk and .219 average going into yesterday’s 6-2 loss to the Angels at Angel Stadium.
“Get Lyle in..."
June 16

New York Post
"It’s not as if Joe Girardi has options when it comes to right-handed-hitting outfielders, so the Yankees manager continued to start Vernon Wells in left field yesterday, hoping life returned to the bat that was hitting .301 with 10 homers on May 15.
Wells rewarded Girardi with singles in his..."
June 09

New York Post
"It began with starter David Phelps batting ahead of catcher Austin Romine and ended with Vernon Wells playing third base.
In between the Yankees eked out a 3-2 victory over the Rockies in front of 40,148 at Coors Field that falls into the bizarre category.
Not wanting three left-handed..."
May 09

Newark Star-Ledger
"His iPad featured so much evidence of failure, the hundreds of unsuccessful at-bats accrued during his miserable two seasons as a Los Angeles Angel. As Vernon Wells pondered how to revive his career this winter, he sought solutions inside a collection of scratched DVDs at his home in Southlake,..."
April 21

Newark Star-Ledger
"The Yankees remained on track to acquire former All-Star outfielder Vernon Wells from the Angels on Monday, while hammering out the details with Los Angeles, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The people requested anonymity because the deal had not been finalized.
Wells flew..."
March 26

New York Daily News
"The trade took two days to complete, but Vernon Wells is officially a Yankee.
Having passed his physical earlier in the day, Wells arrived at Steinbrenner Field Tuesday afternoon and settled into his new locker.
"Just the history and the names that are in this clubhouse, and the guys that..."
March 26

Orange County Register
"The last time I saw Vernon Wells was Saturday morning on the field, which was empty except for the patch in shallow right where he played catch with his son.
Wells had his two boys, Jayce, 10, and Christian, 7, in the Angels spring training clubhouse at Tempe Diablo Stadium earlier that morning...."
March 25

Los Angeles Times
"Angels outfielder Vernon Wells all but confirmed he was being traded to the New York Yankees on Sunday, acknowledging he was “excited” about going to the Bronx and that he had already said his goodbyes in the team’s Tempe Diablo Stadium clubhouse.
“We’ve had some talks, and some were very..."
March 24

Orange County Register
"Spring training stats mean something to all those young kids wearing football numbers and making the minimum salary.
And to Vernon Wells.
The Angels $21 million outfielder is using this spring to prove he can still be more than a highly paid bench player. Although the Angels' plan is to have..."
February 25

The Score
"Your friend and mine Travis Reitsma passes on an Alden Gonzalez story regarding highly paid non-starting Angels outfielder Vernon Wells. The handsomely paid fourifth outfielder will walk away from the game when his current contract expires at the end of the 2014 season.
Though Wells will only be..."
February 25

Bleacher Report
"Ever since Curtis Granderson fractured his forearm during Sunday's spring training action, countless names have been floated as to who will take his place for the first 30 games or so of the regular season.
Vernon Wells of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is a veteran outfielder who could..."
February 25

Los Angeles Times
"Vernon Wells is mild-mannered and not prone to fits of anger, but that can hide what sometimes stews inside.
The outfielder has been a major disappointment in Anaheim, where he had the lowest average (.218) of any big league regular in 2011 and hit .230 with 11 home runs and 29 runs batted in..."
February 16

Sporting News
"Vernon Wells pretty much knew Torii Hunter wouldn’t return to the Los Angeles Angels this season, and he saw it as an opportunity to re-establish himself as a productive major league hitter.
Wells needed to show that the Angels weren’t completely wasting their money by paying him to sit on the..."
February 14

Halo Hangout
"I have learned during Jerry Dipoto's so far short reign as GM, to not take to much stock in the quotes he gives to the media. He's very sly that GM of ours. Take the Josh Hamilton signing for example. Less than a week before Dipoto had intimated to Alden Gonzales that the Angels were satisfied..."
December 30

New York Daily News
"The Yanks are also prowling the free-agent market in search of a righty bat to complement their all-lefty outfield of Curtis Granderson, Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro has agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract that will become official once he takes a physical and some contract..."
December 16

Fox Sports West
"Although he hasn't said so officially, Angels manager Mike Scioscia has given the left field job to Vernon Wells, choosing to sit a slumping Mark Trumbo, at least temporarily, as the team tries to stay in the wild card race.
How much Trumbo plays in the final weeks depends on matchups,..."
September 13

Orange County Register
"Vernon Wells has accepted life as the most expensive fourth outfielder in the history of baseball.
Monday's start against the A's was only his 16th since he returned from thumb surgery in late July. But Wells went 2 for 2 with two RBI and three runs scored in the Angels win and has four home..."
September 04

Los Angeles Times
"The man who has it all, millions and millions and at least 40 more coming, is crying.
He's sitting in the lobby of a fancy hotel here, his hands curled into fists to fight away the relentless tears.
He cares so much he cannot speak.
You know him, of course: "WELLS" across his back when..."
July 22

Los Angeles Times
"Vernon Wells, out since May 21 because of a torn ligament in his right thumb, is expected to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment of seven to 10 games this weekend, moving a big step closer to a return that could cause tension in the Angels' clubhouse and test the patience of..."
July 17

Los Angeles Times
"What seemed like a routine slide into second base turned into a major injury for Vernon Wells, who will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, a procedure that will sideline the Angels left fielder for eight to 10 weeks.
"He thought it popped out and back in —..."
May 22

Orange County Register
"Angels outfielders Vernon Wells (right thumb) and Ryan Langerhans (separated right shoulder) were injured in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park and likely will go on the disabled list, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said after the game.
Neither Wells nor Langerhans will join..."
May 21

Los Angeles Times
"Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto said his decision to fire hitting coach Mickey Hatcher and replace him with Jim Eppard could be "a spark."
Something, perhaps, like those fireworks that erupted Wednesday beyond Angel Stadium's center-field wall, where Albert Pujols deposited his second home..."
May 17

Los Angeles Times
"A mere three games into the season, the Angels are already concerned Vernon Wells is pressing in an effort to bounce back from his career-worst 2011, when the left fielder hit .218 with a .248 on-base percentage, 25 home runs and 66 runs batted in.
Wells was two for 13 (.154) with a home run..."
April 10

Chicago Tribune
"Vernon Wells has seen Alex Rios at his best and senses Rios might be in line for a rebound.
That's because the Angels center fielder, who played with Rios from 2004-2009 on the Blue Jays, watched Rios where he was most comfortable — right field — where he is expected to return this..."
March 08

Los Angeles Times
"Vernon Wells took the same approach to his swing in the off-season as former Angels general manager Tony Reagins probably took to the deal that brought Wells from Toronto to Anaheim the previous off-season.
"I needed a full do-over," Wells said.
Wells has that chance. The 33-year-old left..."
February 27

Los Angeles Times
"Reporting from Toronto — Every B-grade adventure movie has a scene in which the intrepid hero, finding himself in a fix, comes up with an escape plan that has only a slim chance of succeeding.
That's where the Angels find themselves now. Despite Tuesday's easy 10-6 win over the Toronto Blue..."
September 21

Los Angeles Times
"Reporting from Arlington, Texas -- If the Angels rally into the postseason, they're likely to point to a stretch in mid-August as the point in which the season turned. And they're also likely to point to Vernon Wells as the man who sparked the turnaround.
After going one for four with a run..."
August 29

L.A. Daily News
"Vernon Wells was back in the starting lineup in left field Sunday after not starting two of the previous three games. Wells figures to lose more playing time than anyone else in order to get 20-year-old Mike Trout in the lineup, Angels manager Mike Scioscia saying he can't be as patient with Wells..."
August 22

Los Angeles Times
"There was heavy action Friday in the principal's office, where struggling outfielders Vernon Wells and Bobby Abreu were summoned for lengthy individual closed-door meetings with Manager Mike Scioscia and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher.
Change was in the air, precipitated by the return of..."
August 20

Orange County Register
"Whatever the Angels thought they were getting when they traded for Vernon Wells, this is not it.
With Wells plumbing new depths in his season-long slump, the veteran outfielder was benched by Manager Mike Scioscia for Thursday's series finale against the Texas Rangers.
Scioscia said Wells..."
August 19

Los Angeles Times
"Vernon Wells was sore from a crash into the left-field wall Wednesday night, but it was his eyesore of a batting average, along with some other hideous numbers, that kept him out of the lineup Thursday night.
"He was a little banged up," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "But he was going to..."
August 19

Los Angeles Times
"While a "Seinfeld" rerun played on the clubhouse television Monday afternoon, struggling left fielder Vernon Wells was in the Angels' video room watching reruns of his 2006 season with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Wells hit .303 with a career-high 32 home runs, 40 doubles and 106 runs batted in that..."
August 16

Toronto Sun
"Parting is such sweet sorrow, the no-hit, good-write, William Shakespeare used to say while hanging around the batting cage.
It's the returning part that players are uncertain about.
We remember ...
-- Andre Dawson, making his first visit to Olympic Stadium after 11 years in a Montreal..."
August 14

Toronto Sun
"Vernon Wells has always been one cool, laid back cat.
Few, though, figured that Wells would have orchestrated such a dramatic return to the building where for the 12 preceding years he patrolled centre field with such grace and elegance.
Having been traded away to the Los Angeles Angels..."
August 13

Toronto Star
"In his first plate appearance at the Rogers Centre in his first trip back with his Angels teammates, Vernon Wells captured the moment forever in an emotional snapshot, homering to centre field on the first pitch he saw from Brandon Morrow. The unexpected blast gave the Angels a lead they never..."
August 13

Los Angeles Times
"There are occasions in baseball that define players beyond their salaries or statistics, moments that are about emotions and not numbers.
For one night, Vernon Wells could escape the constant reminders of how low his batting average is, or how high his salary is. On this night, he had the..."
August 13

Orange County Register
"Vernon Wells doesn't know if Blue Jays fans will use their nickname for him when he returns to Toronto this weekend.
"That was only in spurts," Wells said with a smile. "There were a lot of good times there. Some not so good times."
During the "not so good times" when the home fans at Rogers..."
August 12

Toronto Star
"Going back to Canada Day, there's been a steady procession of special baseball moments at the Rogers Centre. There was the return of Roy Halladay, plus the excitement of the entire Phillies series, followed by the Yankees with Derek Jeter fresh off his 3,000th hit. A month later, there's more..."
August 12

Los Angeles Times
"Reporting from New York—
No one has batted more times for the Toronto Blue Jays than Vernon Wells. He has more hits than anyone besides Tony Fernandez, more home runs than anyone besides Carlos Delgado.
He returns Friday in several unusual positions — in a visiting uniform, in left field,..."
August 12

L.A. Daily News
"Vernon Wells had been in this situation many times in his career, but it had been five years since he'd won a game in this fashion. He changed his thinking, and it resulted in a walk-off hit.
"Most of those times in that situation, when you come up late innings, usually you're thinking about..."
August 06